Gov't mulls removing ÖTV tax on cell phones

Speaking at a television program on CNBC-e, the minister noted that a solution is needed for high taxes on SIM cards and cell phones and that a potential reduction of these taxes is on the government's agenda. He drew attention to the fact that the government lessened taxes on the Internet some time ago and said new reductions on these taxes could come in the near future.

The government raised the private consumption tax (ÖTV), mostly for imported products such as cars, mobile phones, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, in October. The central bank's monetary expertise coupled with the government's strict tax policy give consumers an incentive to prefer domestic goods over foreign ones, particularly when it comes to cars and cell phones.

Minister Yıldırım also mentioned that the government plans to invest $30 billion on high-speed trains in the next 10 years to increase the rail network in the country by 10,000 kilometers, which will boost the total network to 26,000 kilometers, including the planned addition of 4,000 more kilometers of conventional railroads. He noted that the improvement of Turkey's rail network will allow it to serve as a crossroads, re-establishing the connection of railroads between Beijing and London.